Sir Colin Earl Meads, MBE

One of the greatest rugby forwards of all-time. Called “The Pinetree”, he was a big, strong player, who ‘took no prisoners’. He was New Zealand’s most-capped player when he retired and played for the King Country province of New Zealand. He will be also be remembered for being sent off against Scotland at Murrayfield. This was only the second-ever sending-off in an International match in Britain. He went on to coach and be manager of the New Zealand side and his brother Stanley was capped 15 times, mostly playing together. Colin was a farmer and a famous photograph showed him carrying a fully-grown sheep under each arm. 

• These boots, along with the rest of the team’s footwear, could not be taken back home to New Zealand by the touring All Blacks. This helped ‘kick-start’ Carmarthen Athletic’s collection, then of footwear only.